Marriage Record, Late Babylonian

BaAr2 5 (Alternate Title)

none (Akkadian Title)

(BaAr2 5, BM 33795)

[...], m.Ah-immê (and) f.Mamitu-ilat, children of Sin-zer-iddin, gave voluntarily (lit.: "in the joy of their hearts"), f.Nabê-hinni, their sister, to m.Aqrâ, son of Arad-Eš(š)u, for marriage. (l. 1-7)
(Concerning) the children, whom Nabê-hinni will bear to Aqrâ: The male children will go with Aqrâ to the house of their father. (l. 8-12)
When Aqrâ goes to his fate [… (stipulation not preserved)] (l. 13-rev.1´)
When he takes another wife, m.Nabê-hinni (will remain) the highest in rank (lit: "the great one"). (rev. 2´-5´)
[...] three Minas (ca. 1.5 kgs) of silver [...] (le. e.)
Names of witnesses and scribe (only traces preserved)
Place where drafted: Town of the lú.SAG.GAL (presumably somewhere in Babylonia).

Explanatory Notes:	Marriage record; three siblings give their sister in marriage. The names of parties and witnesses are West Semitic. The contract does not include a dowry clause. The exact meaning of future male children “going” with their father to his house is not clear. It may refer to the fact that the groom is not expected to live in Babylonia permanently. The groom is not barred from taking a second wife, but he is not allowed to reduce his first wife in rank. The last, broken stipulation may represent a penalty clause to prevent the agreement from being broken by either party.
Publication:	Babylonische Archive Vol. 2, Dresden 2003
Publisher URL:	http://www.islet-verlag.de/publikationen.html
Source:	C. Wunsch, Urkunden zum Ehe-, Vermögens- und Erbrecht … No. 5
Date:	NB/Achaem.
Language:	Neo-Babylonian
Medium:	clay tablet
Find Spot:	not known
Permalink:	http://etana.org/etact/search/rss

Submitted by bill.hook@vande... on Mon, 2007-06-04 11:11

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